Submitted photoClassically trained pianist Aaron Diehl brings his jazz trio to Thomasville on March 10

THOMASVILLE — Pianist and composer Aaron Diehl makes his first Thomasville appearance on Tuesday, March 10, through the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation (TEF). The performance by the Aaron Diehl Trio begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Thomasville Center for the Arts. 

“We are thrilled to bring this exciting young jazz pianist with his trio to Thomasville,” said TEF President Charlotte Brown. “Mr. Diehl is recognized as one of the leading interpreters of the Great American Songbook. He’s a breath of fresh air in the world’s jazz scene.”

Though Diehl is a classically trained pianist, he is considered a major jazz virtuoso, Brown added. New York Times critics have described the 34-year-old musician as “a rising star of jazz piano, [with] individual talent so huge that one day he may extend the jazz tradition.” 

Diehl shows an affinity for early jazz and mid-20th century “third-stream” music; more recently, he has taken on modern classical works by George Gershwin with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 

Born in 1985 in Columbus, Ohio, Diehl grew up in a nurturing musical environment. As a teen, Diehl was a finalist in jazz at the Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington competition, where he met jazz great Wynton Marsalis, who has famously referred to him as “The Real Diehl.” Soon after, Diehl was invited to tour Europe with the Wynton Marsalis Septet. 

He graduated from the Juilliard School, where he studied with jazz pianists Kenny Barron and Eric Reed and classical pianist Oxana Yablonskaya. Diehl later won the American Pianists Association’s Cole Porter Fellowship, which included $50,000 in career development and a recording contract with the esteemed Mack Avenue Records. 

Diehl has been a staple of the New York jazz scene since 2007. His role as pianist and musical director for jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant has enhanced his profile well beyond the jazz world. 

Diehl’s first solo album, Live at Caramoor (2008), was a concert recorded at the Caramoor Festival. Live at the Players (2010) featured two of his trios: Quincy Davis and David Wong, and Paul Sikivie and Lawrence Leathers. He won the 2012 Prix du Jazz Classique from the Académie du Jazz for Live at the Players; the 2013 Jazz Journalists Award for Up-And-Coming Artist; and in 2014 was the Monterey Jazz Festival Commission Artist.

Diehl has served as music director for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s New Orleans Songbook series and as the inaugural Artistic Director of the Catskill Jazz Factory in Tannersville, NY. 

When he isn’t on tour or recording, Diehl enjoys spending time in the sky as a licensed pilot. One can follow Diehl’s travels, as well as practice sessions at the piano, via his instagram account at www.instagram.com/aaronjdiehl

Seats are still available for Diehl’s 7:30 p.m. performance on March 10. Tickets are $38 for adults, $15 for students, and all seats are reserved. For more information, visit www.tefconcerts.com or call (229) 226-7404.

Founded in 1937, TEF is a volunteer-powered, non-profit organization celebrating 82 years of entertaining the community. In addition to its annual season of performances by acclaimed artists, TEF offers a dedicated family series of presentations geared to families and younger children, provides educational outreach programs for students and awards performing arts scholarships and grants to promising young artists.